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2011 Jaguar XJ, an AW Flash Drive

February 28, 2010

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What is it?

This is the latest version of Jaguar's flagship luxury-performance sedan, designed this time around for a little more sportiness. Though you could find more than a few chassis similarities beneath the truly all-new skin, Jaguar thinks there is enough newness here to warrant the obligatory “all-new” label on its 2011 XJ. We won't quibble. With a bonded and riveted (no spot welds!) all-aluminum monocoque chassis wrapped in a strikingly svelte body, there'll be no mistaking this beauty for its progenitor, or for any other Jag yet made. This car sets a new styling direction for the marque. There is more chrome than we might have expected, both inside and out, but you get used to that pretty quickly. And we might not have blacked out that rear corner roof pillar as Jaguar designers chose to do. But those are minor points. From the outside, the look is truly head-turning, and unless Jaguar positioned actors throughout the 200-mile drive route we took outside Paris, we can say that people really do notice this car with head-turning, finger-pointing and sometimes jaw-dropping lust. You won't get that from your Lexus LS 460 or a Mercedes S-class. From the inside, the car is surprisingly roomy and efficient, much more so than XJs of years past. It's available in standard- and long-wheelbase variants with dual panoramic roofs standard across the board. The best things in life aren't cheap, and the stickers you'll see when these roll into U.S. showrooms in May will range from $72,500 to $115,000.

What's it like to drive?

It's surprisingly sporty. While previous versions of the XJ leaned toward comfort over handling, this one exhibits very little lean at all. Active dampers stiffen when you enter a corner and help keep the 4,045- to 4,323-pound cat on all fours. On our drive day, winds were gusting to 49 mph, with driving rain thrown in for good measure, yet the XJ hammered through with only an occasional squiggle. We like the squiggles. With power going to the rear wheels through a six-speed automatic and a limited-slip rear differential, you could have fun with this car. Sure, most of the time in the howlin' wet we left the stability program on, but a button on the center console allows you to turn it all the way off for drifting, which we also tried to much glee.

There are three versions of the 5.0-liter V8. We found the 385-hp normally aspirated powerplant provided plenty of power for all ranges of enthusiastic driving, and it gets the cat from 0 to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds to boot. The regular supercharged engine makes 470 hp, good for 0 to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds. But Jag also offers a 510-hp supercharged Supersport XJ for those who need everything. It drops the 0-to-60-mph time down to 4.7 seconds. We recommend that if you have $115,000 to invest.

Do I want it?

It's certainly a sportier driver than the Lexus LS 460 and the Mercedes S-class and CLS-class sedans and has looks that rival the Maserati Quattroporte and even the Aston Martin Rapide. Compared with some in this stratospheric class, you could even say it's one of the most “affordable” of the bunch. Promising results from the 2009 J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability and Sales Satisfaction surveys should help reassure buyers concerned with dependability. Ultimately, though, cars like this are bought for entirely impractical, even rash reasons. So go ahead, make a rash, emotional decision. You won't regret it.